Manila (AFP)
The Philippines reported on Sunday the first death outside of China of a person infected with the new coronavirus which has already made more than 300 dead and has spread to many foreign countries, announced the World Health Organization ( WHO).
The victim is a 44-year-old Chinese man from the city of Wuhan, where the virus emerged, and is believed to have been infected before arriving in the Philippines.
"This is the first death reported outside of China," Rabindra Abeyasinghe, WHO representative in the Philippines, told reporters.
"However, we must keep in mind that this is not a case that was locally infected. This patient came from the epicenter of this epidemic," said Abeyasinghe.
The man, who died in a hospital in Manila, arrived in the Philippines with a 38-year-old Chinese woman who also tested positive for the virus, said Secretary of State for Health Francisco Duque.
This woman, currently recovering in a hospital, was the first case of coronavirus identified in the Philippines.
The announcement of the death came shortly after the Philippines' decision to no longer accept foreign travelers from China.
The Philippine government has also advised its nationals not to travel to China, Hong Kong and Macao.
© 2020 AFP